NASB — Ecclesiastes 4 — KJV

The Evils of Oppression

1 Then I looked° again° at all° the acts° of aoppression° which° were being done° under° the sun°. And behold° [I saw] the tears° of the oppressed° and [that] they had° bno° one° to comfort° [them]; and on the side° of their oppressors° was power°, but they had° no° one° to comfort° [them]. 2 So aI congratulated° the dead° who° are already° dead° more° than° the living° who° are still° living°. 3 But abetter° [off] than° both° of them is the one who° has never° existed°, who° has never° seen° the evil° activity° that is done° under° the sun°.

[1] aJb 35:9; Ps 12:5; Ec 3:16; 5:8; Is 5:7 bJr 16:7; Lm 1:9
[2] aJb 3:11-26; Ec 2:17; 7:1
[3] aJb 3:11-22; Ec 6:3; Lk 23:29

4 ¶ I have seen° that every° labor° and every° askill° which is done° is [the result of] rivalry° between a man° and his neighbor°. This° too° is Ibvanity° and striving° after wind°. 5 The fool° afolds° his hands° and bconsumes° his own flesh°. 6 One hand° full° of rest° is abetter° than° two fists° full° of labor° and striving° after wind°.

[4] IOr futility, and so throughout the ch aEc 2:21 bEc 1:14
[5] aPv 6:10; 24:33 bIs 9:20
[6] aPv 15:16, 17; 16:8

7 ¶ Then I looked° again° at vanity° under° the sun°. 8 There° was a certain° man° without° a Idependent°, having° neither°° a son° nor° a brother°, yet there° was no° end° to all° his labor°. Indeed°, ahis eyes° were not satisfied° with riches° [and he never asked], “And bfor whom° am I laboring° and depriving° myself° of pleasure°?” This° too° is vanity° and it is a cgrievous° task°.

[8] ILit second aPv 27:20; Ec 1:8; 5:10 bEc 2:21 cEc 1:13

9 ¶ Two° are better° than° one° because° they have° a good° return° for their labor°. 10 For if° Ieither of them falls°, the one° will lift° up his companion°. But woe° to the one° who° falls° when there° is not IIanother° to lift° him up. 11 Furthermore°, if° two° lie° down° together they Ikeep° warm°, but ahow° can one° be warm° [alone]? 12 And if° Ione° can overpower° him who° is alone, two° can resist°° him. A cord° of three° [strands] is not quickly° torn° apart°.

[10] ILit they fall IILit a second
[11] ILit have warmth a1K 1:1-4
[12] ILit he

13 ¶ A apoor° yet wise° lad° is better° than° an old° and foolish° king° who° no° longer° knows° [how] to receive° Iinstruction°. 14 For he has come° aout of prison°° to become° king°, even° though° he was born° poor° in his kingdom°. 15 I have seen° all° the living° under° the sun° throng° to the side° of the second° lad° who° Ireplaces°° him. 16 There° is no° end° to all° the people°, to all° who° were before° them, and even° the ones° who° will come° later° will not be happy° with him, for this° too° is avanity° and striving° after wind°.

[13] IOr warning aEc 7:19; 9:15
[14] aGn 41:14, 41-43
[15] ILit stands in his stead
[16] aEc 1:14


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Vanity is increased unto men by oppression,

1 ¶ So I² returned,ºª and consideredºª² all² the oppressionsº that² are doneºª under² the sun:º and behold² the tearsº of [such as were] oppressed,¹ª² and they had no² comforter;ºª and on the sideº² of their oppressorsºª [there was] power;º but they had no² comforter.ºª 2 Wherefore I² praisedºª² the deadºª which are alreadyº² deadºª more than² the livingº which²² are yetº alive.º 3 Yea, betterº [is he] than bothº² they,² which² hath not² yetº been,² who² hath not² seenºª² the evilº workº that² is doneºª under² the sun.º

[1] Ex 1:13, 16, 22; 2:23; 5:16; Dt 28:33, 48; Jg 4:3; 10:7; Ne 5:1; Jb 6:29; 16:4; 19:21; 24:7; Ps 10:9; 42:3, 9; 69:20; 80:5; 102:8; 142:4; Pv 19:7; 28:3, 15; Ec 3:16; 5:8; 7:7; Is 5:7; 51:23; 59:7, 13; Lm 1:2, 9; Mal 2:13; 3:5, 18; Mt 26:56; 2Ti 4:16; Jm 5:4.
[2] Jb 3:17; Ec 2:17; 9:4.
[3] Jb 3:10; 10:18; Ps 55:6; Ec 1:14; 2:17; 6:3; Jr 9:2; 20:17; Mt 24:19; Lk 23:29.

by envy,

4 ¶ Again, I² consideredºª² all² travail,º and every² rightº work,º that² for this² a manº is enviedº of his neighbour.º² This² [is] also² vanityº and vexationº of spirit.º

[4] Gn 4:4; 37:2, 4, 11; 1S 18:8, 14, 29; Pv 27:4; Ec 1:14; 2:21, 26; 4:16; 6:9, 11; Mt 27:18; Ac 7:9; Jm 4:5; 1Jn 3:12.

by idleness,

5 The foolº foldeth¹ª his hands¹ together,ºª²² and eatethºª² his own flesh.º 6 Betterº [is] an handfulº²² [with] quietness,º than both the handsº fullº² [with] travailº and vexationº of spirit.º

[5] Jb 13:14; Pv 6:10; 11:17; 12:27; 13:4; 20:4; 24:33; Ec 4:4; Is 9:20.
[6] Ps 37:16; Pv 15:16; 16:8; 17:1.

by covetousness,

7 ¶ Then I² returned,ºª and I sawºª vanityº under² the sun.º 8 There isº oneº [alone], and [there is] not² a second;º yea,² he hath neither² childº nor brother:º yet [is there] no² endº of all² his labour;º neither² is his eyeº satisfiedºª with riches;º neither [saith he], For whom² do I² labour,º and bereaveºª² my soulº of good?º² This² [is] also² vanity,º yea, it² [is] a soreº travail.º

[7] Ps 78:33; Ec 4:1; Zc 1:6.
[8] Gn 2:18; 15:2; Ps 39:6; Pv 27:20; Ec 1:8, 13; 2:23; 4:9; 5:10; Is 5:8; 44:19; 55:2; 56:3; Hab 2:5; Mt 11:28; Lk 12:20; 1Jn 2:16.

by solitariness,

9 ¶ Twoº [are] betterº than² one;º because² they haveº a goodº rewardº for their labour.º 10 For² if² they fall,ºª the oneº will lift upºª² his fellow:º but woeº to him [that is] aloneº when he falleth;ºª² for [he hath] not² anotherº to help him up.ºª 11 Again,º if² twoº lie together,ºª then they have heat:ºª but how² can oneº be warmºª [alone]? 12 And if² oneº prevail¹ª against² him, twoº shall withstandºª² him; and a threefoldºª cordº is not² quicklyº broken.ºª

[9] Gn 2:18; Ex 4:14; Nu 11:14; Ru 2:12; Pv 27:17; Hg 1:14; Mk 6:7; Jn 4:36; Ac 13:2; 15:39; 1Co 12:18; 2Jn 1:8.
[10] Gn 4:8; Ex 32:2, 21; Dt 9:19; 1S 23:16; 2S 11:27; 12:7; 14:6; Jb 4:3; Is 35:3; Lk 22:31; Ga 2:11; 6:1; 1Th 4:18; 5:11.
[11] 1K 1:1.
[12] 2S 23:9, 16, 18, 23; Dn 3:16; Ep 4:3.

by wilfulness.

13 ¶ Betterº [is] a poorº and a wiseº childº than an oldº and foolishº king,º² who² willºª no² more² be admonished.ºª 14 For² out of prisonººª² he comethºª to reign;ºª whereas² also² [he that is] bornºª in his kingdomº becometh poor.ºª 15 I consideredºª² all² the livingº which walkºª under² the sun,º with² the secondº childº that² shall stand upºª in his stead.² 16 [There is] no² endº of all² the people,º [even] of all² that² have been² beforeº them: they also² that come afterº shall not² rejoiceºª in him. Surely² this² also² [is] vanityº and vexationº of spirit.º

[13] Gn 37:2; 1K 22:8; 2Ch 16:9; 24:20; 25:16; Pv 19:1; 28:6, 15; Ec 9:15.
[14] Gn 41:14, 33; 1K 14:26; 2K 23:31; 24:1, 6, 12; 25:7, 27; Jb 5:11; Ps 113:7; Lm 4:20; Dn 4:31.
[15] 2S 15:6.
[16] Jg 9:19; 2S 15:12; 18:7; 19:9; 1K 1:5, 40; 12:10; Ec 1:14; 2:11, 17, 26.


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